“Defendants have marketed and sold their lethal products with zeal, with deception, with a single-minded focus on their financial success, and without regard for the human tragedy or social costs that success exacted.”

—U.S. Judge Gladys Kessler in 2006 verdict against tobacco companies

Tobacco’s terrible toll is no accident. It is caused directly by the tobacco industry’s insidious and even illegal practices. For decades – and continuing today – tobacco companies have:

Marketed their deadly and addictive products to children and other vulnerable populations

Deceived the public about the devastating consequences of tobacco use

Fought proven measures that reduce tobacco use and save lives

Sought to legitimize themselves as responsible corporate citizens even as they spread death and disease across the globe and opposed real solutions.

Tobacco companies are simply unlike any other business – their industry is built on lies and manipulation and their product kills when used as intended.

Governments around the world must stand up to the tobacco industry and enact proven solutions that reduce tobacco use and save lives. Recognizing the unique nature of this industry, an international treaty – the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control – obligates countries to protect their public health policies from the harmful influence of the tobacco industry.

Through our Industry Watch project, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids seeks to hold the tobacco industry accountable. We provide the facts about how the tobacco companies operate and work to expose and stop the industry’s harmful activities.

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As a non-profit organization, we accept no government or tobacco industry funding. We rely on contributions from individuals, philanthropic foundations, corporations and other non-profit organizations to continue working toward a tobacco-free future.